Portable bridge



(No Model.)

J. T. CASSIDY.

I PORTABLE BRIDGE. No. 484,086. Patented Oct. 11, 1892.

B l I Fig, 7

@Wy I am 4% I T yMW Mm% Lfaiwal'isfgy UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. OASSIDY, OF HARRISON, NEW JERSEY.

PORTABLE BRIDGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,086, dated October11 1892.

Application filed April 1, 1892. Serial No. 427,320. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN T. OASSIDY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Harrison, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Bridges;and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a convenient and portablebridge to enable loaded wagons or trucks to be eased over a street-curbonto a sidewalk when necessary to cross or deliver their loads on saidside'- walk. The device is more particularly designed to meet andovercome the difficulty experienced by coal dealers or carters when, indelivering coal, they are compelled to back theirvehicles over the curbsof the streets upon the sidewalks. In doing this they areliable to (andfrequently do) break the harness or in jure their teams, or both, moreor less, owing to the height of the curb.

The invention consists in the improved portable bridge and in thearrangement and combination of the several parts thereof, as herein setforth, and finally pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figureswhere they occur, Figure 1 represents in side elevation a portablebridge embodying my improvements and placed in position upon a streetand sidewalk ready for use. Fig. 2 is a plan of the bridge, and Fig. 3is a section taken through line .70 of said Fig. 2.

In said drawings, A indicates the street, B the sidewalk, and B thecurb.

c 0 indicate two track-beams, which are held in proper relation to oneanother by means of bars 01. Said bars are clamped or otherwise securedat one end to the trackbeams, their opposite ends overlapping and beingmovable upon one another, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that thetrack-beams may be adjusted to accommodate wagons or trucks diiferingfrom one another in respect of the width of their track. To this endsaid bars where they overlap are provided in this instance with slots e,through which are inserted set screws or bolts f, secured by suitablenuts, as will be readily understood. Said trackbeams are provided withguards g, which are spiked or otherwise secured thereon, 'to prevent awagon or truck from running ofi at the sides. To one end of saidtrack-beams is secured an angle-iron h, which forms a shoulder at eachside and engages with the curb, B when the bridge is placed in positionto prevent the latter from slipping when the wagon or truck strikes theopposite ends of the track-beams, as will be understood. The end 71 ofthe bridge which rests upon the curb or sidewalk is secured to the bodyor trackbeams by means of strong hinges j, so that said end will adjustitself to the grade of the sidewalk automatically and thereby preventthe other end of the bridge from being thrown upward when a loaded truckstrikes the said end 01, as will be understood. Said end t, however,may, if desired, be rigid and project from the body at a sufficientangle to meet all ordinary requirements, as will be obvious. The ends ofthe track-beams which rest upon the street are suitably tapered orinclined, as indicated in Fig. 1, to facilitate the passing of thewheels thereover.

The guards g, as herein shown, are shaped so as to form a groove toreceive the rim of of the wheels, but the inner or outer flange of theguards may be dispensed with, or one grooved guard may be employedinstead of two.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and wish to secure byLetters Patent of the United States, is

1. The improved portable bridge herein described, which consists oftrack-beams 0, bars d, secured thereto and overlapping and ad justablein relation to one another, guards or guard g, a shoulder h, and theadjustable end or part 2', combined and arranged as described, and forthe purposes set forth.

2. The combination of the track-beams c, adjustible bars (1, guard g,and shoulder h, arranged as described, and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this14th day of March, 1892.

JOHN T. CASSIDY.

Witnessesi OLIVER DRAKE, CHARLES H. PELL.

